Klarinet Archive - Posting 000090.txt from 2009/07

From: Scott Morrow <scottdmorrow@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: doublers - help!
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:04:59 -0400

I've been in this situation , also.
I don't think you get points for putting up a fuss and threatening to
walk: it just makes YOU look unprofessional.
What we did was do a quick tuning just before the overture: a minute
of "controlled mayhem" followed by a moment of silence and a downbeat.
-Scott Morrow

> Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:43:02 -0500
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: Rich Gordley <rgordley@-----.net>
> Subject: doublers - help!
> Message-ID: <E1MSVjQ-0004BZ-Nn@-----.net>
>
>> OK gang, I need some opinions on a ridiculous situation.
>>
>> I'm currently playing a run of "Hello Dolly!" with a community
>> theater. This is a volunteer gig which means the musicians get
>> treated worse than usual. Last night we were told that we can no
>> longer warm up in the pit because the director wants to play 1920s
>> (?!) music over the speakers in the auditorium while the patrons are
>> arriving. Our conductor has received more than his share of grief
>> from the director and says that he has to "choose his battles" and
>> that in the long run he'd lose this one anyway.
>>
>> I'm sure I don't have to detail the misery this induces. My wife and
>> I play reed 1 and 2 and between us we have 6 instruments. Reed 4 has
>> B.clnt, clnt and Bari sax. Warming up elsewhere (which right now
>> looks like it will be in the hall behind the stage area) creates
>> huge problems.
>>
>> My questions:
>> 1. Does anyone think this is reasonable?
>> 2. What would you do?
>>
>> My own feeling is that we should refuse to play unless we can warm up
>> in the pit. But maybe I'm overreacting. I'm also thinking that some
>> support from this list would be something I could let our conductor
>> pass along to the director in hopes of letting reason prevail.
>>
>>
>> Rich Gordley
>> Des Moines, IA
>>

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